Of course, the PowerBook doesn't use more energy than its competitors, doesn't take up too much space on the desktop, and it isn't more dangerous to operate during a crash. But Boutin's point is that Apple's new toy is all about the ooh-ahh factor: "All that's missing is a subwoofer and tinted windows." It isn't a question of will it let you push pixels faster but rather will it impress your friends and colleagues?

Starting at US$3300 (that's breaking five grand in my northern Loonie Dollars), the price is aimed at those who have something to prove. Yet I will still drool over one when I see it. Does that make me a hypocrite when in the same breath I scoff at the excess of the luxury SUV or the fur coat or the fashion dog?